Japanese sealing systems supplier Tokai Kogyo Co. Ltd. (Tokai Kogyo) have concluded a “wide-reaching” technical cooperation agreement with SaarGummi Technologies S.a.r.l. (SaarGummi) related to the automotive business.
The joint product-portfolio of Tokai Kogyo and SaarGummi includes complex door seals, trunk seals and roof moulding and glass run channels – the aforementioned agreement is expected to strengthen both companies’ global technical and operational capabilities in their respective automotive markets.
Tokai Kogyo is based in Aichi, Japan, where it manufactures parts for customers including Japanese car manufacturers such as Toyota, Honda, Suzuki, and Nissan. It currently has around 5,800 employees.
The new alliance “will create technical synergies and enhance both companies’ global market presence by mutual cooperation,” according to Tokai Kogyo CEO Yuichi Kimura.
Meanwhile, CEO Larry Johnson of German-based SaarGummi said the agreement allows both companies strategic global expansion possibilities as both partners will be present in all key automotive markets.
“Tokai Kogyo is a perfect matching partner for our company because of their existing business in the Asia Pacific region. We are sure that the technical agreement will help us to establish the SaarGummi Automotive innovations on the increasing Japanese automotive market,” Johnson said.
SaarGummi produces rubber for the automotive industry, namely for sealing different parts of a car such as the windshield, doors, and trunk. SaarGummi employs around 7,000 people worldwide and works primarily with BMW, Diamler, Volkswagen, Ford, and General Motors.